10 Pounds Down

Jessica Smith has done several workouts with the title 10 Pounds Down but apparently this is the first because it does not have a subtitle like the others do (Better Body Blast and Cardio Abs). However this DVD contains two hour long workouts: Total Body Tune Up and Weight Loss Cardio Mix. Total Body Tune Up is a total body metabolic strength training workout and Weight Loss Cardio Mix is a steady state cardio workout with some body weight training and core work at the end.

Unfortunately I did both of these workouts when I was sick with a head cold so I do fear my illness might have affected my opinion of them. They both may be easier than what I portray in the reviews below but due being sick and getting little sleep–and the lingering effects of Nyquil, my opinion might be a little off. I do plan to try them both again some time in the future when I am not ill. When that day comes, I will try to remember to update this review with those thoughts.

Total Body Tune Up is 59 minutes; 6 minute warm up (warm up includes curtsy lunges and balance moves) and 4 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and a mat. Jessica used a set of 5 pound dumbbells. The dumbbells listed below are the weights I used. This was a non-stop total body metabolic strength workout. I was working very hard during this workout but I have to confess that I am ill. It is just a head cold but I have been suffering from it for the past 3 days and this morning I was still loopy from the Nyquil I took so I could get some sleep. So maybe it is not as challenging as it seemed to me? I don’t know. All I know is I was working hard but also dragging. I also felt there were more awkward compound exercises than there normally is in Jessica’s workouts. Again, this could be a side effect of head cold and Nyquil but this is probably the first Jessica Smith weight training workout that I did not love. It definitely did the job and worked me well, but I found some of it awkward. It definitely warrants a do-over when I am not sick.

1. Curtsy lunge w/ overhead press, twisting torso to side when lowering (8# DBs)
2. Forward lunge w/ rear delt fly while lunging and bicep curl when standing (8# DBs)
3. 8 push ups, when you raise bring knee under body to opposite elbow
4. Repeat 1 & 2 on other side of body
5.  Repeat #3
6. Cardio interval: cross jacks w/ alternating jack arms; cross punches; squat jumps while punching overhead; repeat cardio interval
7. Hinge forward, one hand behind back and do one arm rows while raising one straight leg out to side (one 20# DB)
8. Standing with weight on one foot, sweep other foot in front while squatting then bring toe out to side and raise knee, bringing it across body while doing a one arm bicep curl (one 14# DB)
9. Stationary lunge, holding DB in one hand and lowering so that DB and other hand touch the floor on either side of front foot and when you raise you tap back foot in slightly (one 14# DB)
10. Repeat 7-9 on other side of body
11. Cardio interval: squat jack; changes to quarter turn squat jacks; changes to 180 squat thrusts (squat thrust then at top, do 180 squat jump); repeat cardio interval
12. Lay on back, legs extended straight to ceiling, head/shoulders raised–do a chest press w/ a hip lift (20# DBs)
13. Still on back, legs still raised straight but legs are now crossed, head/shoulders still raised, arms/DBs raised straight to ceiling–raise and lower straight legs while keeping arms/upper body stationary (20# DBs)
14. Still on back but legs are bent now, feet raised off floor, do a chest fly while twisting hips and lowering knees toward ground, alternate sides (20# DBs)
15. Lay on stomach, legs open in V, arms extended straight to side w/ thumbs raised to ceiling–raise and lower chest while bringing arms back toward hips; hold arms by hip, chest/head still raised and swim/paddle feet
16. Push ups, bringing body all the way to ground at bottom of push up
17. Cardio interval: mountain climbers; run feet side to side over mat; changes to jumping feet side to side over mat
18. Repeat 12-17
19. Diagonal rear lunge w/ tricep kick back (you are actually pivoting and doing a front lunge but diagonally behind you) and when you pivot back to front, lowering into chair pose squat pressing DBs overhead (arms are in letter Y) (5# DBs)
20. Stationary lunges w/ while doing overhead tricep extensions (8# DBs)
21. Repeat 19 & 20 on other side of body
22. Cardio interval: overhead punch jacks; alternating one leg double hops; jog in place w/ jump rope arms; repeat cardio interval
23. Power swing squat (one arm kettlebell swing with a DB) (one 15# DB)
24. Reverse lunge raising knee at top of move and one arm overhead DB hold (one 8# DB)
25. Repeat 23 & 24 on other side of body
26. Cardio interval: place DB on floor as a marker and step/hop side to side over DB; changes to lateral hops over DB; fast jog forward and back over DB; repeat cardio interval
27. Side lying tricep push ups while bringing top leg into chest then pushing out straight
28. In side elbow plank, bring top knee in while bringing top elbow to meet knee; knee pull changes to front kick
29. Repeat 27 & 28 on other side of body
30. In elbow plank, alternate knee to shoulder on outside of body
31. Lay on back w/ legs extended straight and one heel resting atop other toe, hands behind head–do a basic crunch in this position; add bringing top knee in toward nose; changes to raising and lower straight top leg; keep top straight leg raised toward ceiling, lift bottom leg a few inches off floor and extended arms at sides–pulse bottom leg; repeat this entire core series w/ other leg on top
32. Oblique crunch w/ one leg crossed over opposite knee, bring opposite elbow to knee; changes to extending top leg then bringing knee into elbow; stretch bottom leg out straight and hover off floor while continuing the crunch; repeat oblique series on other side of body
33. Bent leg reverse crunch; add leg extension at top of crunch; changes to keeping legs straight while continuing reverse crunch
34. In same position as #33, raise onto elbows (legs still extended straight to ceiling) and make a triangle w/ legs–tilt/rotate hips to side while lowering straight legs to side, raise back to center then repeat on other side
35. Still lying on back, raise head/shoulders off mat, arms extended straight at side and bicycle legs; changes to pushing both legs in and out together (knees into chest then push out straight); ends w/ banana hold

Weight Loss Cardio Mix is 69:30 minutes; 2 minute intro, 5 minute warm up, 32:30 minute cardio mix, 12 minute “total body toners,” 10 minute corset abs and 5 minute stretch. Equipment: a mat and optional chair for balance. I also used one pound boxing grips for the boxing drills in the cardio mix. This was an interesting workout, I did like it but I didn’t love it. I am actually sick right now–a head cold, so I decided to do this workout since I had previewed it and it seemed easier than some of the other workouts I have lined up in the next week. And it was. The first part is all steady state cardio. “Cardio mix” consists of basic cardio moves (side steps, grapevines, V steps, regular jacks, squat jacks, scissor jogs, knee pulls, woodchop lunges, skaters, jump lunges, side lunge push offs, hamstring curls) and some boxing drills. Nothing that got me into my peak heart rate but I was working and sweating. Some of the cardio moves were kind of dancey and I actually had a problem getting the footwork but for the most part I had no problem following it. Next you get some body weight strength work that will keep your heart rate elevated nicely. The workout ends with core work that I found challenging. This is a long workout so if you want to make it shorter you can just do the cardio then fast forward to the stretch or just do the cardio + the total body toners then fast forward to the stretch. If you fast forward through the intro also, skipping the abs will give you a 55 minute workout. Not terribly intense but it does do a good job giving you some nice cardio, some body weight strength and a decent calorie burn. I am not breaking down the cardio mix, but the body training and core work are broken down below.

Total Body Toners

1. Wide pulse plie squat; changes to sliding one foot in and standing (starting in plie squat)
2. In split stance, hinge torso forward and raise back leg and pulse
3.  Sit on mat and lift into reverse plank, lower bottom to floor on a diagonal away from hands but only tap floor then return to start
4. Lay on one elbow and one hip w/ knees bent and top arm behind head, lift and lower hips while opening and closing top knee, keeping feet together
5. Lay on stomach with arms and legs extended into an X, lift arms and legs off ground and hover there while lifting one arm and opposite leg higher–lift and lower just this arm and leg
6. On hands and knees, raise one leg out straight behind you and do a tricep push up, keeping leg extended the entire time
7. In elbow plank, bent one leg, toe pointed to ceiling and pulse leg/foot to ceiling
8. On all 4s again w/ arms wider than shoulders, circle chest down from right to left and back

Corset Abs

1. Lay on back w/ legs raised off floor, ankles crossed, knees bent and open, hands under hips, head/shoulders raised–push feet in and out (keeping feet crossed), lifting hips when bringing knees in
2. Still laying on back w/ head/shoulders raises scissor straight legs; with one straight leg raised to ceiling and the other hovering a few inches off the floor, circle straight legs out  to sides then back into starting position but with leg positions swapped
3. Lay on back, one knee bent w/ foot raised off floor and other leg extended straight and hovering a few inches off floor, twist opposite elbow to bent knee and hold while raising and lowering straight leg
4. Still on back, legs raised straight to ceiling and hands under hips, do reverse crunches; add lifting straight arms overhead by ears
5. Still laying on back, legs straight on floor open in a V w/ toes point out to side, one arm behind head, bring one knee in and touch inside of knee to elbow
6. Lay on stomach w/ arms and legs extended in an X and raised off floor, open and close legs, keeping arms/chest/legs raised
7. In straight arm plank w/ legs wide and one arm in front of the other, bring one knee under body toward opposite elbow (the arm that is in front of the other), remain on one side, pulling knee to elbow then returning to floor
8. Sit on bottom, knees bent and feet raised off floor, hands on floor behind hips, push legs in and out while also raising and lowering torso; raise arms overhead when body is extended and pull arms in when bringing knees in to chest